The Builders Association of India, the apex representative body of civil engineering construction companies including small medium and big contractors working on major construction and infrastructure projects including roads, irrigation, government housing schemes for poor etc, demanded the rollback of iron and steel price hike.

India’s real estate industry can hope for an impressive turnaround in 2018 as the October-December 2017 quarter witnessed an average price increase of 3.1 per cent in 46 per cent of the 750 localities across 14 major cities, reports Magicbricks PropIndex.

The government’s move to promote affordable housing by setting up a special fund is welcome. It will boost buyers’ sentiments and help revive the real estate market. We expected the government to give industry status to real estate sector, though its efforts to support infrastructural development is laudable.

This is a Budget for ‘New India’; it is an aspirational Budget that will help stimulate the market. Excise duty on petroleum products has been readjusted, with some portion of it being converted to cess for road development. We have to spend a significant amount of money to expand our road, rail and other infrastructure

The Union Budget presented today is a balanced Budget with a focus on the Agri Sector, Rural Development, Healthcare and a continued thrust on Infrastructure creation. These will collectively provide significant impetus to the revival of growth and creation of employment.